Dr Alan Duffy, an astronomer at Swinburne University of Technology, said in a statement there are key aspects of the event to watch.

"The eclipse begins with a shadow slowly appearing on the surface of the Moon. Over the next hour more of the Moon will be covered until eventually it lies directly behind the Earth away from the Sun," Dr Duffy said.

"At this point the Moon should be blacked-out but it will actually appear blood red. This colour is from all the sunrises and sunsets of Earth shining onto the Moon.

"The phase of totality with a red moon lasts for an hour, before the Moon begins to leave the umbra and the series of events reverses over the course of the final hour."

This blood moon is the second in a series of four, the first taking place in April of this year.

The latter two in the series of eclipses will take place in April next year, but only for a few minutes.

The last will occur a few months later in September but will take place during the daytime in Australia and will not be visible.